Grading System @ UCSF School of Pharmacy

[swth0208]

Hi everyone!

I am new to SDN and I am waiting to hear back (for interviews) from UCSF & UCSD. I think UCSD has a Pass/Fail grading system which is very nice in alleviating stress from getting A's all the time..... what about UCSF? I searched everywhere @ UCSF website and could not find about their grading policy... how are students graded? Also, how competitive is the school? I graduated from a very cut-throat competitive undergraduate and don't want to go through that process all over again...

Also, UCSF vs UCSD in terms of stress from getting good grades and GPA... If I were to be admitted to both schools... is choosing UCSD over UCSF because of Pass/Fail system not wise?

Also, if you want to stay in academics or pharmaceutical industry, how important is your GPA?

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[UES Girl]

Hi everyone!

I am new to SDN and I am waiting to hear back (for interviews) from UCSF & UCSD. I think UCSD has a Pass/Fail grading system which is very nice in alleviating stress from getting A's all the time..... what about UCSF? I searched everywhere @ UCSF website and could not find about their grading policy... how are students graded? Also, how competitive is the school? I graduated from a very cut-throat competitive undergraduate and don't want to go through that process all over again...

Also, UCSF vs UCSD in terms of stress from getting good grades and GPA... If I were to be admitted to both schools... is choosing UCSD over UCSF because of Pass/Fail system not wise?

Also, if you want to stay in academics or pharmaceutical industry, how important is your GPA?

Thanks!

Grading system is the regular grading system - grades, 90 % to get an A, there are no +/- grades.

It definitely gets intense - this week we have 5 finals in 5 days and I'm dying. Literally I feel like every cell of my body is screaming in agony because I'm so exhausted from cramming.


However, it's not the cut throat environment, it's very family like - everyone is here to support everyone else. Classmates contantly help each other out, email notes, email study guides and etc. Gunnerism is not encouraged. Its looked down upon.

I honestly hope you don't base your decision on grading system if you are accepted. This is a one of a kind school. One of a kind. If you are looking into entering pharm industry, just imagine how a legend like Leslie Benet is here, lecturing you during your first quarter of classes.

I would write more about how much I love the school, how we have a whole pathway/curricula tailored to people interested in entering the pharma industry, how it's possible to even do an independent research project on site at one of the companies, but final is in less than 3 hours.

 

[PharmacyNut]

i hugely regret not applying to ucsf now that the deadline has passed...i was partly discouraged because it's a top school, but when i looked at the averages i thought i should have at least gave it a shot. besides, my entire family lives in norcal, so...yeah.

one note i'd like to make is that the pass/fail system doesn't mean getting a "C" to pass. Pacific Univ Oregon has a pass/fail system in which you have to get 90% on every exam to pass. Anything lower is a fail. I don't know what it's like at UCSD, but it would interesting to know how they determine pass/fail. However, I don't think it's any different, if not harder in a pass/fail system. Well, the standards for passing is tougher...

 

[swth0208]

Grading system is the regular grading system - grades, 90 % to get an A, there are no +/- grades.

It definitely gets intense - this week we have 5 finals in 5 days and I'm dying. Literally I feel like every cell of my body is screaming in agony because I'm so exhausted from cramming.


However, it's not the cut throat environment, it's very family like - everyone is here to support everyone else. Classmates contantly help each other out, email notes, email study guides and etc. Gunnerism is not encouraged. Its looked down upon.

I honestly hope you don't base your decision on grading system if you are accepted. This is a one of a kind school. One of a kind. If you are looking into entering pharm industry, just imagine how a legend like Leslie Benet is here, lecturing you during your first quarter of classes.

I would write more about how much I love the school, how we have a whole pathway/curricula tailored to people interested in entering the pharma industry, how it's possible to even do an independent research project on site at one of the companies, but final is in less than 3 hours.

Hey cheburashka, good luck on your final exam! If I get accepted, I hope my class is going to be like that too! I think I am leaning towards UCSF over UCSD too but we'll see how the application process goes...

 

[evilolive]

I wish our school were like UCSF and gave P/F grades. It gets really stressful when the average for our therapeutics courses are usually in the high 70s to low 80s, but that means that 50% of our class (and they're really smart) get Cs. Everyone keeps banking on our reputation to get us into good residencies, but it means we have to work that much harder to shine on rotations. I bet everyone courts UCSF students with candy 🙁 I do not, however, envy your cumulative exam in your 3rd year. That's just ridiculous. Oh, and having no summers off 3rd year sucks too.

 

[UES Girl]

I wish our school were like UCSF and gave P/F grades. It gets really stressful when the average for our therapeutics courses are usually in the high 70s to low 80s, but that means that 50% of our class (and they're really smart) get Cs. Everyone keeps banking on our reputation to get us into good residencies, but it means we have to work that much harder to shine on rotations. I bet everyone courts UCSF students with candy 🙁 I do not, however, envy your cumulative exam in your 3rd year. That's just ridiculous. Oh, and having no summers off 3rd year sucks too.

Evilolive, you misunderstood - we are on the grade system and not on Pass/Fail. It's UCSD that is on the pass and fail.


The only class I have pass/no pass is pharm calculations where you have to have 90 % to pass.

 

[evilolive]

Evilolive, you misunderstood - we are on the grade system and not on Pass/Fail. It's UCSD that is on the pass and fail.


The only class I have pass/no pass is pharm calculations where you have to have 90 % to pass.

Oh. Wow that sucks too. Do you guys curve to ~80 if everyone gets scores in the dumps?

 

[rycetrix]

Oh. Wow that sucks too. Do you guys curve to ~80 if everyone gets scores in the dumps?

Nope. It's either you pass or you fail.

 

[Bowler11]

I have only had one exam that has been curved/extra credit and it was in our therapy class when the class average was a 58%. Like UCSF we have a similar deal for calculations (requires a 90%). I think the major class getting us right now is pharmacology. Class averages are within the mid 70's on every exam. The professor is known to be tough. I have never heard of a pass/fail system in pharmacy school except for UCSD.

Good luck on finals! (I have 7 exams in the last 8 days of class....I hope i can survive)

 

[alenadoma]

oh good, I'm glad other schools have such rigorous final exam schedules. We also have 5 finals in 5 days. not fun 🙁